I often joke about going snorkeling to visit our reef friends. In reality, I love the fact that we’ve learned the San Blas reefs so well that we know exactly where to look for them… down to specifc coral heads. Even more amazing to me is that their predictable habitats do not seem to change, year after year. Mother Nature is consistent that way ~ as long as we take good care of her.
This winter weather in Panama has had its periods of high winds interspersed with days of calm, allowing access to a few favorite snorkeling spots. On one occasion, Keith & I shared a dive with Lorenzo & Joyce (Eileen Farrell) at the pretty “2nd cut” to the west of Esnasdup.
I knew just where to visit the secretary blennies on the “blenny rock”, including another brave soul out of his hole.
Following a visit to the strawberry tunicates, I was able to say hello to the resident red-lipped blenny skittering about.
Joyce pointed out a large spotted drum with its beautiful black & white contrasts.
Behind him was hiding a juvenile spotted drum ~ all eyes & fins!
I like to imagine that they grow right into those long fins as they become adults!
And a most exciting find in the cut, I re-visited this crab in his sponge-home for the 3rd time and finally got close enough to identify him as a porcelain crab. His blue forelegs were moving up & down constantly and these turn out to be maxillipeds that appear “feathered” for filter feeding!
Off to a new anchorage with Kookaburra, I snorkeled the “scrub reefs” that make up shallow, underwater islands lining this coast-line.
In the grassy surroundings of shallow coral heads it is common to see conch and there were plenty on this occasion.
Most were still juveniles as you can tell when they are without a full “lip”, with one exception who I left to graze with the others.
There are other bivalves of all types that blend right into the coral and which often you can only detect if they snap shut when you approach. This Atlantic thorny oyster stayed open on a slow approach until he too snapped shut, yet was picturesque with colorful sponges encroaching on the shell.
This area is also a nursery for juvenile fish, so there is always a crazy little one-inch angelfish hiding in a rock that is too spastic to stay posed for a decent picture… this juvenile gray angelfish was no exception.
Upon entering another familiar anchorage a few islands away during a calm spell, I was able to visit one of my favorite reef walls from years' past with the prettiest structures and colors.
Here, I re-visited a specific coral head next to the dinghy anchor spot that housed leopard gobies and the first redeye triplefin blenny that I'd encountered.
Habitat still intact?~Check!
